GRIEVOUS BURDEN

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 109, 10 May 1932, Page 8

GRIEVOUS BURDEN

RELIEF TAXATION

HUTT MAYOR SPEAKS OUT

COMMUNIST AGITATORS

STIRRING UP TROUBLE

Some outspoken comments on the unemployment situation generally and the burden it was casting on the community were made by the Mayor of. Lower Hutt, Mr. W. T. Strand, at last night's meeting of. the Lower Hutt Borough Council. Mr. Strand emphasised the crisis that Avould arise if the No. 5 relief scheme broke down, and deplored the fact that Communists were exercising a disruptive influence amongst the unemployed.

Councillor A. Grierson asked tho Mayor if it was true that the' unemployed from Petone were now being found work in Lower Hutt and, if so, was it detrimental to the Lower Hutt men, and was the taking on of the Petono men going to cost the Lower Hutt Borough extra for tools, supervision, and insurance.

Mr. Strand said the position was that on Wednesday last he had been approached by the Unemployment Board with a request that work should be found in the Valley for 500 men for whom the Petone Borough Council could no longer find employment. The question was a very serious one, as the board was determined that unless work was found there would, be no money for the men, and not only for the men, but for the tradespeople who were dependent upon ,them. "I could not argue," said Mr. Strand, "that as part of. the district had failed to carry its load, therefore the rest of the area should fail in its duty to these men. I looked at the position from the viewpoint of the whole district and not as being divided by any petty line, and I realised that one part cannot suffer without the whole suffering." Mr. Strand outlined what he had done in approaching the Taita Cemetery Board, the Hutt Park Committee, the Golf Clubs, the River Board, and he wanted publicly to thank these bodies, especially the Biver Board, for the magnificent way they had assisted. The Biyer Board had put in hand a work which would safeguard a considerable area of the Valley. "PARTING OF THE WAYS." Speaking generally, he said they had come to the parting of the ways, and the question was whether they could find work for the whole o£ the unemployed in the district—the whole district, not a district divided by an imaginary line—or whether No." 5 scheme was going, to break down. If No. 5 scheme broke down in the Hutt Valley it would break- down all over the Dominion, and that would be a disaster. The time had come when very much more consideration would have to be given to districts such as the Hutt Valley in the matter of the cost of supervision, tools, material, and insur-' ance. It was almost impossible for local bodies to go on meeting these x charges. The alternative to No. 5 scheme was-the dole, and the moral effect of that on the unemployed made that course unthinkable. COMMUNISTS CAUSING TROUBLE. Unfortunately, said Mr. Strand, there were those among the unemployed who were making things difficult and still more difficult. The great majority were honestFy trying Jheir best, and would be far happier if only they could do useful work, but, unfortunately, in the district there were those with Communist views who were trying to lead the others into trouble. The time was rapidly arriving -when, those who were on relief and thosewho were giving relief would be on a common plane. The burden of taxaation was so heavy that it was rapidly carrying men to the same position as those getting relief. Everyone would like to, see a more liberal allowance given, said Mr. S^ranr^ but that was not possible) and only by making the best of things and not the worst, were the people going to see the thing through. At .present those who Ayere trying to help were being discredited, and persons on the council and things belonging to the council were stupidly • being declared "black." These things made it almost heartbreaking to attempt to go ,on. "Unless these things were stopped the schemeof relief would break down.. Mr. Strand said that not one Lower Hutt man -would suffer through the taking' on of Petone men, who were being put on separate jobs Irom the Lower Hutt men. The only actual • borough job on. which Petone men were, being employed was widening the Waiuui-o-mata road, which would cost the bor : bugh £.2. extra for each man put on to supervise the work. All the supervisors would be Lower Hiitt men, so that actually more work was being found for Lower Hutt men. He hoped the council would approve his action, and that before long other works of a valuable nature would be put in hand to relieve the position. Among these works he mentioned the Eastbourne water afid drainage, the reclamation of portion of the Hutt estuary, and the raising of Hutt Biver stopbanks. The.method by which payments to the .Petone meu would be made had not-yet been arranged, but they would not be paid through the Lower Hutt Borough Council; that would not be fair. "WOULD HAVE BEEN A CALAMITY." It would have been a. calamity if arrangements could not have been made to find work for the Petone men, continued Mr. Strand. The loss would have been over £1000 to the Petoue unemployed, ; and to the shopkeepers. Councillor "Wilson considered that the attitude adopted by the Petone Borough Council was very hard and cold. Mr. Strand should be cordially thanked for what he had done. Councillor Anderson could not agree with the Mayor's'suggestion that the action taken by the Petone Borough Council should not be criticised. Personally, he thought it was a very wrong attitude to take up, and Petone should be told so.

Councillor Meldrum agreed with Coun cillor Anderson.

Councillor Patrick said that Petone was throwing the whole burden on to the Unemployment Board. Lower Hutt had considered doing the same thing, and the question was bound to come up again when the council considered its estimates. Local bodies could not go on bearing the heavy charges they had to bear.-

Councillor Grierson asked if Mr. Strand could give a guarantee of a given amount, which would not be exceeded, for the.cost of taking over the Petone men.

"I WILL NOT BE SHACKLED."

.Mr. Strand: "You seek to shackle my hands in this matter, but I*will not be shackled. I cannot say what it will cost'; all I can say is, that I will do it as economically as possible. Either-

I you approve my action or you disagree, and if you disagree the Petone men will be put off at the end of this week and will get no relief. We cannot let that happen." -

The council approved the action of the Mayor on the understanding that during the next three weeks other work would be found for the Petone men. Councillor Giierson dissented.

Councillor Patrick asked that the beautifying of the Waiwhetu stream be considered as an unemployment work.

COST OF THE WORK,

The Works Committee reported that the expenditure under the No. 5 .Scheme to'date had been as follows:—Expenditure on wages by the Government £2242 10s 3d; expenditure by the borough, £210 19s otl. During the month ua4 men were found enjoyment.